Chapter Ten

The trio emerged from the cabin door with Cameron in the lead.
The two girls clutched each other's hand as they -
They walked single file until they reached tghe gang plank which
led to the boardwalk.  At this point Cameron tunred his
head and held his point finger to his lips.  And then he motioned for
them with his other hand by pointing in a downward motion to be
still.

The two girls continued to walk in a single file behind Cameron.

The two girls stood quietly holding hands at this point squinting in the
darkness to see of anything was amiss.  Their hearing took on a sharpness
as they listened to the night sounds.  An owl hooting, the gentle flapping
of the surf as it stirred and hit the sides of the boats parked in the arena.
There was the rustling of the park leaves and occasional bird call, but
nothing that they would call unusual.

A few seconds into the sounds of the night and it hit them at the same
time.  The silence was now deafening -- there was an abundance of quiet.
No sound.  Hannah was the first to speak.

"Trespassers, " she said.    And then Cameron thought he heard Hannah
whisper the word run.

Cameron was the first off the boat and his hand and arm wrapped around
Lindsay's waist and he clutched her hand and pulled her off the boat.

Hannah was right behind her sister and in one leap she was on the
boardwalk.

She fumbled and landed on all fours.   It took her breath away, but then she
focused, her eyes narrowed and she howled.

She ran past Lindsay and Cameron.  (on all fours)

It was a shadow that passed the two and Lindsay was shocked into a frozen
stance.

Cameron was momentarily stunned.  He was still holding Lindsay's hand so
he just pulled her and yelled in her ear.

"Run," Lindsay run.   Do what Hannah said, "run."

Lindsay blinked and came back to the sounds of the night.

"What about Hannah?"
\
Cameron  pursed his lips and  whispered "Hannah is fine."


He spoke with more confidence then he felt for at that moment
the young assistant didn't know what had actually happened.

He pulled Lindsay along the boardwalk.

Soon the two reached the end of the boardwalk and ran on to the path that
led to the parking lot.

As Cameron took out his car keys the pair heard screams coming from the
woods adjacent to the parking lot.

"What was that," said Lindsay.

"I don't know," said Cameron.

"Probably just an animal in the night," but in his innermost mind he had never
heard such screams before.

Lindsay's eyes widened with fear.

Cameron opened the back door of the car first and pushed Lindsay in.


"Get down," he ordered, "now."

Lindsay obeyed without hesitation and laid down on the back seat.

Cameron slammed the back door of the car and then got into  the driver seat.

A shadow ran past the car.  And the passenger door swung open.


Cameron had his hands on the steering wheel and turned to his right.  .

 "OK, let's go, Cameron, now."

He gasped and looked hard at Hannah.   He could only make out a shadow
and It was Hannah, but she seemed different.

"Drive," she said.

Lindsay recognized Hannah's voice.

"Hannah," she whispered.

"It's okay,  Lindsay, it's okay."   The words had a lyrical note and had a
soothing effect on Lindsay.

Lindsay stopped shivering and started to breathe a little slower.

Cameron took a quick glance at Hannah.  Her profile seemed
taller.  He surmised taller, that of a young woman.
And was it his imagination or had her voice changed.

The Hannah sitting next to him seemed older, wiser.

""Let's go, Cameron, drive."